Saturday, July 16, 2016

Misc. Takes

In no order of importance...

Anthony Anderson co-announced the Emmy nominations on Thursday and what a swell job he did. He said he couldn’t pronounce a name even though it was written phonetically for him. The unpronounceable name: Tatiana Maslany.

He also screamed and whooped whenever announcing an African-American nominee. Hey, Anthony, ALL nominees matter.

TRANSPARENT is an excellent show but does not belong in the Best Comedy category. I hope any of the other nominees win.

Alec Baldwin is a hoot on the new MATCH GAME.

Ballplayers have the most bizarre injuries. Here’s the latest: Texas Rangers pitcher Jake Diekman cut his left index finger on a souvenir CHEERS mug. Nice to know I’m still involved in the game somehow.

With all the shit going on in the world, I’m amazed that people are losing their minds because the new GHOSTBUSTERS are all women. Seriously? That’s a major issue?

29 comments
:

Katie G.
said...

I agree Baldwin is killing it on Match Game. I love that the classic game shows have been rebooted this season; unfortunately, Anthony Anderson singlehandedly (or, more so with the help of his mother) ruins the new To Tell the Truth. $100k Pyramid is also very good.

From all reports, Baldwin only agreed to host Match Game if ABC donated a big chunk of money to his wife's charity. He's taking no salary for himself and said he wouldn't have done it otherwise. I think the bigger question is whose synapses were firing in just the proper sequence to make someone think "We need someone to host Match Game, how about Alec Baldwin?"

He's clearly having fun and not even bothering to disguise his contempt for when he has to read mostly horrible prepared material off the cue cards when interviewing the contestants.

Of course, the other question is when he's going to break out his killer Charles Nelson Reilly impression.

Ken... agree with you on Alec Baldwin. Also enjoying the new Pyramid... Michael Strahan would not have been my first choice as host, but he is growing on me, plus the format of that game is pretty much bulletproof. Didn't see Anderson host the Emmy noms, but last night I caught the Mike Tyson episode of To Tell the Truth. That was bizarre, to say the least, and yet very entertaining.

On the one hand, yes, congrats to all the nominees. On the other hand, his costar, Tracee Ellis Ross, is the first black woman nominated in that category in 30 years. That's a long, long time. Really long.

I find Anderson extremely annoying. I've seen him on TTTT, the Pyramid when he was a celebrity contestant, and several talk shows when the newest Barbershop came out. I've never cared for black-ish not just because of him but he is a large part of it. It does not surprise me that he was annoying on the Emmy reads also.

Yea. All screaming by Anthony was well earned on that one. Plus, people get excited for those who have gone a long time without any recognition (like Taraji). If the Oscar's would share the love and equality was normal he wouldn't have to go so crazy lol.

"Notable Emmy snub: Stephen Colbert not nominated for Late Night while Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, AND James Corden were."

Hmmm. Jimmy, Jimmy, James. I'm sensing a trend. Maybe Stephen can legally change his name to Jim or JJ.

"BRAINDEAD is moving to Sundays during the Republican Convention. Is anyone still watching that show? I’m just about to give up."

I am. Love it and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Tony Shalhoub is always fun to watch. The stalker decrying all of the PBS programs that would be lost due to the elimination of funding of the NEA was a scream. I wonder how many politicians, Rs and Ds, watch the show and see nothing wrong with it.

I'll agree that Alec Baldwin is great as the host on Match Game. As is Rosie. Unfortunately, this version is almost as bad as the later non-Gene Rayburn versions of the 80s and 90s. No one seems to understand that "innuendo" is what made the original version so funny. Here, they're just going straight for the titillating "dirty" answer. It's just not as fun.

I'd argue the criticism about the new Ghostbusters movie is based on how the trailers and previews all seriously suck and how it's frankly a sacrilege to remake such an iconic cornerstone of people's youth and 80's culture. But sure, it was only a matter of time until any sort of perfectly valid criticism would get cheaply dismissed as oh-my-god-you-sexist-pig-what's-your-problem-with-women-ghostbusters...

i like that anthony anderson added some exuberance to the proceedings -- especially for his show's nominations. i would too. and while i celebrate all nominees, i especially celebrate momentous black nominees because they're comparatively more rare.

The new Ghostbusters movie had ALMOST all the original cast back for cameo roles - Dan Aykroyd (who's one of the Executive Producers), Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver. Harold Ramis obviously couldn't do it since he's dead, but I noticed a Daniel Ramis in the credits as 'Metalhead', so certainly a relative, son maybe.

Also no Rick Moranis. Sadly missed.

I originally thought that the TV execs who brought back 'Matchgame', '$100,000 Pyramid' and 'To Tell The Truth' were creatively bankrupt (and possibly they are), but I am enjoying '$100,000 Pyramid' and 'Matchgame'. When Alec Baldwin adlibs, he is often sarcastic and funny, but the tone is definitely way more sexual than the Gene Rayburn ;'double entendre' version. Nice throwback for Gene's pencil thin microphone.

In the last couple of weeks, you've complained that YOU'RE THE WORST and TRANSPARENT are not funny. Yet, my two favorite lines of the year come from those shows.

From TRANSPARENT: Buzz (to a distraught Shelly): I'll drive you home.Shelly (as if he has a superpower): You drive at night?

From: YOU'RE THE WORST:Lindsay (re Jimmy's dysfunctional family): I thought English people were classy. But these are like Alabama English people.

And those are just the two favorites. Both shows, for me, have plenty of hilarity to offer.

So, my Friday question: how do you (personally) distinguish between "not funny" and "not my taste in humor"? I mean, my music sector is traditional folk, and I don't care much for jazz, but I can certainly appreciate when the musicians are deeply skilled, so I would never say they weren't *musical*, just that it's not my taste.

When are you going to write your perennial review hilariously skewering the Emmy nods? I've been waiting eagerly for the last 3 days! Am I the only one who thinks Master of None is daft and vacuous? As you advise writers, they should setup funny situations. Master of None does not really have a plot except eccentric characters...why so much adulation? This is the millenial brand humor rife with pop culture/web references and no real artful dialogue. Ansari garnered nods for directing, writing, and acting. Alan Alda must be shuddering. Ken what are your thoughts? I feel like the Emmy's have debased themselves further. Homeland was byzantine and drab this past season and I love Homeland. Modern Family is inanely stupid now. Veep is becoming hackneyed. What gives?

Yes, MATCH GAME is wonderful across the board, but PYRAMID less so. Strahan is just too bland to make much of an impact as a host. Compare him to Steve Harvey, whose amazing blend of sarcasm, exasperation and just plain WTF?-ism when reacting to the incredibly stupid answers the contestants (especially the pro athletes) often give is absolutely spectacular. ABC should take these shows and move them permanently to Saturdays, where they'd really clean up in-season with no competition but reruns.

"With all the shit going on in the world, I’m amazed that people are losing their minds because the new GHOSTBUSTERS are all women. Seriously? That’s a major issue?"

It's only a major issue to small-minded men. Have you seen it yet? Would love to know your thoughts. I think a friend of mine summed it up perfectly: It's more fun than funny. I didn't mind: Who doesn't like fun?

I sense an extended cut coming to home video that will smooth out of the plotting, but it was a joy watching a team of women be heroes. The audience I saw it in was filled with women, and I hope young girls watch it and grow up loving the characters, the same way I did when I was a young boy.

About KEN LEVINE

Named one of the BEST 25 BLOGS by TIME Magazine. Ken Levine is an Emmy winning writer/director/producer/major league baseball announcer. In a career that has spanned over 30 years Ken has worked on MASH, CHEERS, FRASIER, THE SIMPSONS, WINGS, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, BECKER, DHARMA & GREG, and has co-created three series. He and his partner wrote the feature VOLUNTEERS. Ken has also been the radio/TV play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres. and Dodger Talk. He hosts the podcast HOLLYWOOD & LEVINE

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